De-cluttering + Mental Health: How to Increase Productivity when working from home
Working from home is the latest issue we are facing as we tackle COVID-19 in self isolation. So why are so many of us struggling to find a happy medium between work life and family life?⠀
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A home office or work area within your house should be inspiring, clean and organised, in order to become a productive and effective space. ⠀
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A cluttered work space can lead to stress, anxiety and depression. Constant ‘noise’ in our external environments, create noise in our internal environments. These two areas go hand in hand, like a mirror reflecting back at you. So if your space is cluttered, do you want that same chaos to manifest in your mind? I know I wouldn’t.
So how can we achieve a space that is inspiring, light, creative and devoid of unnecessary clutter?
to any modern interior.
5 Tips to Achieve a Productive Work Space and Peace of Mind
CLEAN
Make sure you have a clean work space when you start the day. This means before you clock off, or cook dinner or play with the kids, you put everything away. This allows you to start the day off with a positive attitude.
STORE
Everything needs a place. All your files, books, folders, knick-knacks, pens, paper, staples, clips, markers or whatever items you need to do your work efficiently and effectively should be put away. Imagine trying to find something urgently and you spend 20 minutes rummaging through drawers and boxes with no success. This is time wasted that you could have avoided, IF you were organised and everything had its place. Remember, all the clutter we see affects the clutter and noise in our head.
MAKE IT PERSONAL
Add personal touches to your work space or desk that evoke memories, create emotions and make you feel happy and energized.
You can add a plant or some flowers, to bring an element of the outdoors indoors. A photo of your partner or pet (always a plus seeing a cute furry face everyday), an object you purchased overseas from a recent trip or even a candle to help you relax and stay calm and focused. Whatever you choose, make sure it creates a personal space that excites you when you sit down to get the job done.
NATURAL LIGHT Vs ARTIFICIAL LIGHT
Natural light is a must when working from home or an office. A study at Cornell showed workers exposed to natural light experiences an 84 percent drop in issues such as headaches, eyestrain and blurred vision. Because those symptoms can lead to increased fatigue, workers exposed to natural light were more susceptible to other health issues.
However, if you are limited as to where you can work and artificial light, like a table lamp is your only option, then try to go portable for a few hours each day.
What does this mean? Take your laptop and sit near your window in your lounge room, or on your bed. This will help you when you are starting to experience fatigue and discomfort from working too long in a stifling environment.
ZONE OUT!
Close the door if you have a dedicated office space or put those headphones on so you don’t get disturbed. There is nothing worse than being interrupted every 5 minutes when you are trying to get that email out, or finish off a project or even conduct a Zoom meeting. Getting frustrated can drop your performance quality and also affect your heart rate and anxiety levels. So make sure you set those boundaries and keep moving forward.
If you are still struggling to set the right feel and mood for your work space or desk and need some guidance, we are here to help.
Contact us now for a FREE 15 minute introductory phone chat.
